Mail box



May 19, 1925. 1,538,871 H. KRICK MAIL BOX Filed April 1923 7 v INVENTOR MW/ATFORNEY Patented May 19, 1925.

seam-Kareem scam WAYNE, rang r a se s psanamwo WILLIAM H. 1 sesame, or rear way-NE; INDIANA.

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Applicationiiled April 2,1923. Se'ti'alNon 629,318.

To all whom it'maly concern: Be it: known that. I, HOMER *Karon, acat1- zen-of the :United States of ariner-ica, and

resident of Fort Wayne, in the county of "Allenand State of Indiana, have invented mail boxes, and the object thereof is-to :pro-

v-ide a receptacle for letters etc, that may be :positioned inthe wallofa house and which .is accessible for the; reception of mail .matt-er from the exterior of-the building, and

forztlle removal of the mail matter, from the interior thereof. Another object-tofrthe invention-is to provide meansoperable by the receiving door of the mail boX for soundmg amechanical arm' andalso for closing an drawings, in which Fig. 1 is .a vertical section of aconstructionembodying the invention positioned in the wall of a building;

Fig.2 is a perspective view of a hammer for closing the electrical switch and-also for striking the gong; I

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the hammer actu'atingmember; and c Fig. his an e'levation'showing the assenr blage of the hammer and actuating member mounted-upon their support in connection with other co-operable parts. p p

The characters appearing in the description refer to parts shown in the drawings and designated thereon by corresponding characters.

The invention comprises a box 1 having at its front a flanged frame 2 and a door 3 for closing the box. the flange being positioned against the interior wall 4 of the building. A receiving chute 5 is secured against the outer face of the exterior wall 6 of the building and is closed at its outer end by a hinged lid 7 that has an inwardly extending arm 8.

Upon one side 9 of the box, in the upper part thereof is mounted a gong 10, andalso at a point beneath the gong is posltioned a horizontally disposed stud 11. Upon the stud is loosely mounted an actuating member 12 having an arm 13 with a series of-perforations 14 therein. The member'has also onb'ne side thereofa prog'ectmg 1aw 15.

The hammer comprises a boss 16 having on o-ne end thereof" a projecting jaw 17,-"an'd at one side an 'a rm l8 'at'theouter end of which is a hammer lieacl'19witha curved tail 20' contiguous therewith The hammer is loosely mounted upon the stud 11 *in'po'sition so that its jaw 17 has engagement with the jaw 15 on the actuating member. A

-guide"pin'21 is rigidly secured in the strid 11 and extends radially therefrom between the boss ofthehammer and theadjacent face of the actuating member 12, and has a bent extension 22 at its outer end thatprojects into; perforations =28 selectively "in the side Qof the box accordingly as the'stud 11 is adjustablyturned. In moving the guidepin from engagement in one perforation to another, it is the intention to spring the stud in itsmo'unting sufliciently to disengage the extension 22 from the perforation in which ibis lodged, so as to permit the stud to be adjustably rota-ted.

Upon theouter portion of the stud 11" is 'niounted an opencoil spring 241,the outer end: 25of which isupositioned in a slot 26 in; the endfofFtherstud, and theotherend of whichextends into an opening27 inthe arm 18 of the hammer. A washer -28 bears against the'end "25 of the spring withmore orless force according to :the adjustment of a nut 29which is threaded on the outer end of the stud. Thus, the spring acts against the hub of theha mm'er and tends to hold itagainst the guide 21,;and tends also to hold the hammer in neutral position, which. position may be a djustably varied, by shifting the end 22 of the guide from one of the perforations 23 to another.

The actuating member 12 is operated through the medium of a connecting bar 30 by manipulating the lid 7 with the arm 8 to which it is attached at one end, its opposite end being connected with the arm 13 of the actuating member.

Within the box is mounted an electrical switch member comprising a pair of contact springs 31 and 32 mounted upon an insulating block 83 that is rigidly secured to the side 9 of the box, the contact springs being normally spaced apart with one of the springs 31 extending into the path of the tail 20 on the hammer, so that when the IOU hammer is actuated the spring 31 will be moved thereby into contact with the other contact spring 32 and thus close an electrical circuit of which the conductors 34 and 5 35 are terminals, said conductors being connected respectively with the contact springs. The conductors are intended for connection with any suitable electrical signal apparatus (not shown) such as is common in use and which may be located at a point remote from the box.

In the operation of the invention, the lid 7 is raised and mail matter is introduced into the box through the chute, and is removed from the box by opening thedoor 3. As the lid 7 is raised the connecting bar 30 is drawn outwardly thereby, and the ac tuating member is swung upon the stud. During the movement of the actuating member its jaw 15 engages the jaw 17 on the hammer and causes the hammer to swing downwardly upon the stud. As the hammer is thus actuated, the spring 24 is wound, and the hammer is moved outwardly upon the stud against the resistance of the spring because of the action of the slanting face 17 of the jaw 17, against the guide 21. The outward movement of the hammer causes the jaw 17 to move out of the path of the jaw 15 on the actuating member and becomes released so that the hammer is swung by the torque of the spring into striking contact with the gong 10, the hammer passing its neutral position into contact with the gong through the inertia of its movement, and returning to its neutral position through the re-action of the spring 24. Also, when the lid 7 is raised the switch member is closed through the medium of the hammer, thus causing the remote signal to be actuated.

When the lid 7 is closed the actuating member is moved into its engaging relation with the hammer in readiness for repetition of the operation.

What I claim is 1. In a mail receptacle, a box having an inlet chute; a hinged lid closing the chute; a revolubly adjustable stud mounted in said box; an actuating member mounted on the stud and having a jaw engageable by thejaw and radial arm; a hammer mounted on said stud and having a jaw engageble by the jaw on the actuating member; a guide pin extending between the hammer and the actuating member and being adjustably movable with said stud; a spiral spring on said stud having fixed relation at one end therewith, and at its other end with said hammer; a signal means with which the hammer has operable relation; and means connecting said lid with the arm on the actuating member.

2. In a mail receptacle, a box having an inlet chute; a hinged external lid for closing the chute; a stud within the box; a hammer loosely mounted on said stud; an open coil spring on the stud and connected with the hammer, an actuating member on the stud having operable relation with the hammer; a guide interposed between the actuating member and the hammer for disengaging the latter therefrom; a signal means with which the hammer has operable relation; and means operable by said lid for imparting movement to the actuating memher.

3. In combination with a mail receptacle having a hinged lid closing its inlet opening, an actuating member operated by said lid; a hammer engaged and actuated by said member; an adjustable guide having operable relation with the hammer for diverting it from engagement with the actuating member at different stages in the movement of the hammer accordingly as the guide is adjusted; a spring acting to hold the hammer into engagement with the actuating member and also to hold it in neutral position; and a signal means in operable relation with said hammer.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HOMER KRICK.

Witnesses:

MATILDA METTLER, VALTER G. BURNS. 

